For Johnny
by random4ever
Summary: Epilogue to the book, I hope you like it!


**So this little piece was written for school once upon a time, and after finding it now I felt this would be a good place to put it. Narnia was published before the book was written btw. I have no clue how many times this has been done but, without further ado, enjoy!**

Chapter 13

"Hey, Pony." Someone was shaking me lightly. "Time for bed."

I groaned, changing my position ever so slightly. I wondered vaguely if someone had been talking to me. I'd talk to them in the morning, I decided, starting to sink back into oblivion.

"Come on, buddy. Up you get." The soothing voice of Soda was nice. Hadn't he been the one telling me to do- do- do _something_? What was it that he was talking about? I would ask him later. I was too tired now.

"Here, I'll carry him." said a second voice. I felt a warm, strong body pick me up. "Hold the door open for me, will ya?" _Darry_, I realized. Darry's carrying me. I could walk. I was fine. I started to lift my head.

Then it all faded back to blackness.

… … … … … … … … … … … … …

The next thing I knew a harsh light was being thrown across my eyes. I rolled over, trying to block it somehow with my hands. I thought that I had a chance to sleep in, at least for a little while, when someone threw the covers off of me. I shivered as the cold air hit my bare back and feet.

"Rise and shine, sleeping beauty!" I winced at the mock falsetto voice piercing my ear.

"Shove off, Soda." I ducked under the pillow, only to have it stolen from me. "Hey! Give it back!" I glared blearily at my now-least-favorite brother.

"No can do, Luce." Even if I'd still had my eyes shut I could've seen the evil grin on his face. Here went Soda with his Narnia obsession. I groaned.

"The High King has ordered the banishment of all pillows, so that they can be used as ammo against the Telmarines. Queen Susan ordered me to ask for all the pillows not yet handed in. I was about to do as she asked before I thought 'why ask? Surely it would be much more fun if I _took_?'"

And then he pounced.

I shrieked as he started tickling me, sitting on my legs to keep me from rolling away.

"Sto- Stop it- Soda! Please!" I finally managed to get some words out between my laughing and gasping for breath.

Through the tear filled haze that covered my eyes from the vain attempt to fight back I saw Soda's merciless eyes staring back at me, filled with mirth.

"Stop it!" I all but screeched.

"Only if you promise to do as I say."

"That de- depends!" I cursed myself as Soda doubled his efforts in attempting to choke me on my own laughter. "FINE! Fine, I'll do anything!" Soda slacked his murder efforts.

"Do you promise to from now on follow the King's orders at once?"

"I'll- I'll try!"

"You have to promise!"

"Promise!" I would sooo get Soda back for this later.

"Do you promise to not get revenge on me?" Unless, of course, that happened. Damn Soda, he looked like he was having the time of his life. And damn me for making him read the Narnia books back when he was still in school. It was, in hindsight, the one book series that I _hadn't _wanted him to read.

"Promise!" I would do just about anything by now. The one thing that I wouldn't do was-

"Do you promise," Sodapop started, interrupting my thoughts. "Do you promise to give me your piece of chocolate cake?" And there went the one thing I wouldn't do.

Overweighing my chances I ventured, timidly, "Half?"

"Deal." Soda sprang off of me and headed back downstairs.

I was left, lying on the bed, gasping for breath. I'd really have to start letting up smoking if I wanted to make track next year. Oh, well, I thought, rolling off the bed and stooping to grab a semi-clean shirt from the ground.

I hurried into the bathroom for a quick shower, still not able to believe that my hair was blond when I glanced at my reflection in the mirror.

Mildly surprised I realized that I felt much better today than in the past weeks, after- no. I wouldn't think of you-know-what. Yes, I would. Johnny and Dally. Dally and Johnny. They were dead, and there was nothing I could do about it. I would tell all those kids out there that it was okay to look at sunsets. I would.

I felt freer, lighter, somehow. But there was something that I was forgetting. If only I could remember. All of last night had been a blur. It was probably just Soda and me having the first tickle fight (well, him tickling me) in a long time that was putting me in a good mood.

Grinning I ran around the corner, preparing to do a flying leap off of the bottom stairs when-

"Oof!"

"Hey, watch it Ponyboy!" I grinned up at Soda, who was somehow preventing the both of us from falling down the stairs.

"Speak for yourself." I grabbed onto the banister, right above where Soda was holding on, and pulled myself back to my feet, helping him regain his footing right after.

"Darry sent me up to go get you. He's almost done setting the table. I see now that I shouldn't have bothered." Soda pulled me into a head lock and dragged me down the stairs still talking. "Two-bit said that he would come a little early today to walk to school with you. Said something about wanting to ask some girl out. He should be here," we walked into the kitchen and Soda glanced at the clock, "in about seven minutes. Hey, what're you looking at Darry?"

I stopped trying to break free from Soda for a minute to see what he was looking at. I gasped. I'd written that, I thought, panicking about what Darry would say. That's what I'd been forgetting: my work on the table. I knew they'd both read it eventually, but I'd hoped not until it was done. Oh, great. Now he would find out my _real _thoughts about him, from before.

Soda released me and walked over to Darry. "Is that Pony's theme? Golly, it's- how many pages is it?"

"It's 42 pages so far." Darry sounded shocked. "And he's not even half-way done yet." He looked over at me, his eyes wet. "Oh Pony, I'm sorry. Is this really how you thought about me?" I was afraid he was gonna cry again. Soda ripped the pages from Darry's hand and read the last sentence that I'd managed to write last night aloud.

"_He's as hard as a rock and about as human. He's got eyes exactly like frozen ice. He thinks I'm a pain in the neck. He likes Soda-everybody likes Soda-but he can't stand me." _

"It's not," I swallowed, fighting my own tears back. "It's not how I think of you anymore." I started trembling, afraid of what would come next. Would Darry hit me again, even after what had happened with Soda? I looked at my feet, avoiding his eyes.

"Come here." Darry's voice was surprisingly gentle, and prompted me to look up anyways. Then he suddenly grabbed onto me as if he would never let go. "You too, Soda. Get over here."

As I stood there, sandwiched between my brothers for the second time in under 24 hours, I knew everything would be alright. I could live without Johnny and Dally. It would hurt, but who ever said it wouldn't? It would still sting like you wouldn't believe, but what was that saying? Oh yeah, 'what doesn't kill you makes you stronger.' And it did. I felt ready for the world, ready for whatever it could throw my way.

I would go to college. I would get a nice house, maybe even a wife and kids. And I would do it all with my head held high. I would do it for Johnny.

**Reviews are crack. :)**


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